Web-based site creation websites: any good?

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by renoyg, Mar 2, 2008.

  1. #1
    Hi, I'm new to this forum, am to build a simple website for a non-profit I work with. Being a non-profit, there's not a big budget for designers, so I did some looking around and found a few sites that have simple drag-and-drop interface.

    Has anyone on here heard of any of these? Or used them?

    Weebly
    Jimdo
    WordPress (I thought this was for blogs only but someone told me they built a website using it)
    HotDoodle

    Any advice is appreciated.
     
    renoyg, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  2. twistedspikes

    twistedspikes Notable Member

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    #2
    Joomla is probably a good choice to build a website with if you don't have much of a budget (it's free...and pretty easy to use).
     
    twistedspikes, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  3. shallowink

    shallowink Well-Known Member

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    #3
    Long term best advice to use Wordpress. Though it shouldn't be classified with the web based site creation tools. You can find loads of themes for it. Has lots of options and it has an easy to use interface for the non-profit after you are gone. It will be a little bit of a learning curve for you to install and configure but it is much better to use versus creating a static html site. It is a blog but it has the capacity to be a small scale CMS(content management system) and is pretty flexible. Someone posted earlier offering to build themes for around ~$25, which is a steal of a price.
     
    shallowink, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  4. renoyg

    renoyg Peon

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    #4
    Thanks for the help.

    I guess I should clarify more -- was looking at those software-as-a-service things so that there's no software to download and whoever takes it over doesn't have to worry about FTP/uploading, downloading software on their own computers, etc.

    WordPress would fit the bill, but I'm approaching from the design (paint medium, really) side, and don't know much about cnofiguring servers, etc.

    We're talking super basic, more function over form. I mean, some of their computers are still on Windows 98.

    TIA,
    Reno
     
    renoyg, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  5. shallowink

    shallowink Well-Known Member

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    #5
    You wouldn't have to know much to work with wordpress once its installed. And even the install is most times two clicks and its up and running. Real issue with the webbased site creators is working with those pages down the road. WP wouldn't require any software to be installed on their computers. All of the updates are done via the web so that really isn't an issue. Truth is, most of those site creators rely on gobs of javascript and would probably tax those win98 computers more than WP. Only part requiring ftp uploads would be adding WP templates/themes. Once those are uploaded, they can switch themes at their lesiure.
     
    shallowink, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  6. renoyg

    renoyg Peon

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    #6
    Thanks for the advice; good point about taxing Windows 98 computers with the web-based stuff.

    Just found Squarespace.com, too, like HotDoodle.

    But I'll play around with WP and see what issues come up. Thanks again.
     
    renoyg, Mar 2, 2008 IP
  7. sipepdesign

    sipepdesign Peon

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    #7
    You can get cheap design work here, have somone custom develope it.
     
    sipepdesign, Mar 3, 2008 IP